March Madness 2017

I have to admit that I haven’t seen much college basketball this year. It doesn’t help that my favorite team the University of Washington Huskies had a terrible season and going for a record of 9-22.

They have lost thirteen games in a row after losing Wednesday in a close game to USC in the Pac-12 tournament. No one expected them to win since they had lost to USC on Saturday. Also their number one player Markelle Fultz did not play in the game. Fultz actually hasn’t played in the last several games because of injury. Fultz is a freshman who is not expected back next season. He is one of the guys they are calling one and done. Other words he will go to the NBA after playing part of one season. He led the Pac-12 in scoring and could be the number one pick in the NBA draft. If he isn’t he certainly will be among the top anyway; can’t blame Fultz for not playing since he had an injury and he is on awful team anyway. The Huskies offense hasn’t been too bad however the defense has been one of the worst around ever.

The Huskies are supposed to have one of the top recruiting classes coming in next year however the number one player is expected to be one and done as well in Michael Porter Jr. It is interesting because Coach Romar hired his father Porter Sr. going into this season. Also he is the Godfather of Porter Jr. The question is whether Romar will return next season or not after having one of the worst seasons in Huskies history. If Romar doesn’t return than likely the Huskies will lose Porter Jr.  We have to ask ourselves is that a bad thing or not. Bringing in another one and done player will make the Huskies a better team or not.

What people are looking who follow the Huskies and for the people of Seattle for that matter when will the Huskies make the NCAA tournament which they haven’t done in some time.

What I see as the shame is that Seattle and the state of Washington have some of the best high school basketball playing in the country and why has only Gonzaga been the only team to be successful. We sure can give Mark Few and their program a lot of credit but the Huskies and Cougars should be competing in the Pac-12. Even if they don’t make the tournament every year they should be in it four out of every five years at the very least.

I think that Romar is a fine gentlemen and many people like him other than some players who have left the program over the years.  If you know Husky and Gonzaga basketball you know the player that left two years ago and sat out last year before going to Gonzaga after transferring from UW. I am sure he was not the most popular guy in Seattle but he has had an outstanding season at Gonzaga.

Until recently the Gonzaga Bulldogs were undefeated and ranked number one in the country till the loss to BYU. This Sunday the rankings will come out for March Madness and the Bulldogs should be one of the four top seeds in the tournament. If not they certainly will be number two in one of the regions. They just ended winning their conference championship.

It is time though the Huskies go out and get a young upcoming coach to take over the program. They may lose Porter Jr and possibly a few other recruits but who really cares. The Huskies need to be a team and not a one man show. If Romar does return next season the Huskies do need to make the NCAA tournament or at that point it is for him. I would like the Huskies to go out and get a coach that is similar to the football coach Chris Peterson. I am sure there is someone out wanting to move up the rankings and make a name for themselves. There is a large buyout of Romar’s contract however it will still be there next year too so it is time to say goodbye to him. I am sure he can find another place he can go to and resurrect his career. Thanks Coach Romar for the years you were here however time to move on for everyone’s sake.

In the meantime I will be enjoy watching March Madness and hoping the Bulldogs will pull off the title this year though I would like it to be the Huskies or for that matter the Cougars. Enjoy your full of March Madness and then baseball season arrives.